Friday's Walk Down Memory Lane 4/6/2012

Today's walk down memory Lane features:  My brother Rick (Happy B-day!)

Growing up I had a great relationship with all of my siblings.  However, if I had to choose one who I was closest with I would have to say that it was my brother, Rick.  Missy and Anjee, though further apart in age than Anjee and I, were only one year apart in school and so shared many of the same friends.  A lot of times this would bring them together and leave me behind.  So I mostly hung out with my younger brother Rick.  The above picture of the two of us at some pioneer day celebration in Ammon, Idaho is one of my favorites.  Anyway, it seems like the two of us did everything together.  When we were young it was chasing and catching butterflies and grasshoppers or playing basketball (I really don't think I would have ever been much of a player if it weren't for him).  As we grew older basketball continued and soccer was added in.  We would swim in Cherokee bay, ride bikes and sometimes run.  We he turned 14 I would drive him to all the church dances (the ones Mom forced us to go to :  "You have to be in the right place at the right time.  You will go to the dances.").   I knew all his friends, including girl friends (which he always seemed to have one) and he knew all mine.  He took my best friend to prom and we double dated.  Not because he was romantically involved with her, because we were all friends.  We'd gang up on Mom and Dad, or whoever we wanted to harrass, together.  As young adults we'd have campfires, attend the YSA ward, go to the YSA dances (which we now wanted to go to) and sometimes even double date. 

We went on missions and entered the MTC at the same time (he entered one week before me).

We were married a month apart and shared a reception in Washington.  Can you tell who was married first?

We were both attending BYU when we found out his wife and I were pregnant and actually due on the same date.  I ended up having a miscarriage so my first born, Jordan, came a year later but it would have been cool had I carried my first pregnancy to term.  Maybe our firstborns would have shared a birthday.    

And finally, we went to graduate school (I'm counting Brad's dental school here) at the same time and graduated the same spring.  

Rick was fun...yes, he even made those boring youth stake dances, where we were the only ones in attendance, fun.  He was protective.  Brad's favorite story to tell is when we went to visit him when we were engaged and he had a "sit down talk" with Brad about how if he didn't treat me right he would beat him up.  He was kind.  I don't ever remember him being mean to me.  It was more the opposite.  I was mean to him.  In fact, one of my favorite stories to share is that when my little brother and I were young, and we had a disagreement, I would sit on him (because I was bigger and weighed more) and pound him with my first as hard as I could.  As he grew older and stronger than me he never took his revenge.  He was my best friend.  When you're little and you see each other every day, and yes even bug each other a little ever day, you never think that it may be five years that you go without being able to see each other.  Well, for Rick and I those 5 years have passed and I miss him and his wonderful wife and family.   That's way too long to not see a close friend.

Happy birthday Rick!  I hope it's a great one!